James Francis Burke (April 15, 1923 â June 26, 1981) was an American cornet soloist. He was the principal cornet soloist with the Goldman Band from 1943 to 1974. He was also the principal trumpet with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1943 to 1949. Mr. Burke, who had the use of only one arm, was considered the greatest virtuoso of his time on the instrument, according to Ainslee Cox, conductor of the Guggenheim Memorial Band.
James Francis (Jimmy) Burke was born in Port Jefferson, New York. At his birth, Jimmy sustained a brachial plexus injury, rendering his right arm useless. He began to play the trumpet at age 5, but since he could not hold the horn, his father had a tripod stand built for him. The top of it was shaped like a horseshoe and the horn would sit in that stand with a strap going over it in front of the valves. The stand was on rollers and could also be raised and lowered like a music stand.
When he was seven years old, he started performing for the Rotary Club and for different organizations. In 1936 he played on WJZ (AM) on Sunday mornings from 9 to 10 o'clock. The program was called "Coast To Coast On A Bus" and Milton Cross was the announcer. Then from 11 to 12 o'clock, he went to ABC (which was CBS at that time) to The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour. Paul Douglas (actor) was the announcer. Jimmy played on these 2 shows for 7 years, playing 2 different solos every morning. When he was 13, some of the participants from The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour made a movie for Warner Brothers called "Stars Of Tomorrow". In the film, 5 boys make up a hillbilly band.
Jimmy's first teacher was his father from the age of 5 until the age of 13. He then studied with Del Staigers in 1936 and 1937. Lessons were conducted at Staigers' apartment in Sunnyside, Queens, New York. He regarded Staigers as the greatest player he had ever heard. It was Staigers who suggested to the King Musical Instrument Company that they build a cornet for left handed playing. Jimmy then studied with John "Ned" Mahoney, a cornetist with The Goldman Band and a graduate of The Ernest Williams School of Music. From 1938 through 1943 Burke attended Ernest Williams School of Music at 153 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn, New York. During those 6 summers, he attended The Ernest Williams Band Camp at Saugerties, New York.
From 1943 to 1974 Jimmy was the principal cornet soloist and solo chair with The Goldman Band. During his 32-year career, he was contracted to play five solos each week. The band performed seven nights a week with 50 concerts in a summer season. All totaled, Jimmy performed over 1,100 solos with The Goldman Band. He had a prodigious memory for music and rarely read from sheet music during a performance.
In 1943 Jimmy moved to Baltimore and began a seven-year stint as principal trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as well as the Professor of Trumpet at Peabody Conservatory and Conductor of the band. During the summers, he took the train to New York City to play with The Goldman Band.
Upon his return from Baltimore in 1950, Jimmy received a call from Paul Lavalle who asked him to join his band. Jimmy stayed with the band for six years. He had a featured solo performance of "The Carnival of Venice" on the RCA Victor LP "A Sunday Band Concert".
In 1960 he co-founded The All-Star Concert Band with American tubist Harvey Phillips. The band recorded two LPs under the Golden Crest label. The first, titled "The All-Star Concert Band" was recorded September 17âÂÂ18, 1960 at the Huntington Theatre, Huntington, New York. The second LP titled "The Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band" was recorded a year later.
On June 26, 1981, Jimmy suffered a massive heart attack while conducting a rehearsal of The Guggenheim Memorial Band, the successor to The Goldman Band.
Solo Recordings
Artist Workshop Series
With The Goldman Band
With Leroy Anderson
With Archie Bleyer
With Paul Lavalle
With Morton Gould
With Robert Shaw
With Igor Stravinsky
With Andre Kostelanetz (see notes)
With Thomas Schippers
With Leopold Stokowski
Cornet/trumpet solos
Method book